Coupling apparatus for floating dry docks



Jgly 15, 1947. F, HARRls 2,424,164

' COUPLING APPARATUS FOR FLOATING DRY DUCKS briginal Filed D ec. 20.1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 a? j \\\J: a

l l w, I \\i 11% 1 E E X i i l I IN VEN TOR. Frederic 1?.- Harris July1947= .F. R. HARRIS 2,424,164

COUPLING APPARATUS FOR FLOATING DRY DOCKS Original Filed Dec. 20, 1943 4Sheets-Sheet 2' w r *3 INVENTOR.

' I Freden'rfi. Edi-r13 v r BY 15, 1947- F. R HARRIS 2,424,164

COUPLING APPARATUS FOR FLOATING DRY DOGKS Original Filed Dec. 20, 1943 4Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Freda rm 1?. Harris July 15, 1947. F. R. umms2,424,1 4

COUPL ING APPARATUS FOR FLOATING DRY DUCKS Original Fild Dec. 2d, 1945 4Sheets-Sheet 4 I h i I Q "Q N L? I Q Q? v nymvrox. Frederic]?- HarrisflTTOR/WE'Y Patented July 15, 1947 COUPLING APPARATUS FOR FLOATING DRYDOCKS Frederic RQHarris, New York, N. Y.

Original application December 20, 1943, Serial No. 514,952, now PatentNo. 2,370,957, dated March 6, 1945.

Divided and this application September 28, 1944, Serial No. 556,237

13 Claims. (Cl. 114-46) This invention relates to improvements in floating dry docks adapted to be built in separate and I distinct units,which can be connected to make the. dock complete and ready for use.

.1 ...An object of the invention is to provide a simple, eificient anddurable coupling by which the different units of the dock can beoperatively attached to one another, and conveniently disconnectedwhenever necessary to repair, scrape or paint any part of the dry dock,or move it to an 1 other site.

Another object is to provide a coupling which will secure the unitstogether, but allow a predetermined degree of up and down movement ofthe several units under special conditions.

Withthese and other objects and advantages,

, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention residesin the features of construction defined .and pointed out; but theembodiment illustratedand set forth is presented as an example only; andothers may be adopted in practice to the full extent consistent with thebroad and general meaningsof the terms in which the appended claims areexpressed.

, On said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation on a small scale of an assembled dockhaving its constituent units connected by couplings according to thisinvention.. Figure 2 shows in end elevation part of the hull and oneside wall of one unit of the dock with one coupling member on the end ofthe wing wall, for connecting one unit to another.

Figures 3 and 4 are respectively a side and a top elevation of such acoupling member in p- 'erative position,

' Figures 5 and 6 are front elevations of comple- 'mentary engagingparts or members of the coupling device for the units of the dock; onepart to be mounted on one unit and the other on an adjacent unit.

Figure 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a front view of the structure appearing in Figure 7, showingone side only.

. Figures 9 and 10 are horizontal sections on lines '9-9 and Ill-Ill ofFigures 5 and 6 respectively.

- partly in section and a top view of the coupling head. I v

The same numerals identify the same parts throughout.

This application is a division of my prior application for patent on aPrefabricated timber dock, Serial No. 514,952, filed December 20, 1943,now Patent No. 2,370,957, dated March 6, 1945.

Each dry dock unit comprises a pontoon having a hull I with portions ofside walls 2 at each of its shorter sides or ends. By joining severalsuch units'with the two walls thereon arranged end to end, in alignmentalong each side, a complete dock is produced. The couplings indicated at3 (Figure 1) on the ends'of the portions of the side walls of adjoiningunits connect the various units to one another. The framework of thehull and the parts of the side Walls of the dock thereon for each unit,are indicated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, and described fully in my saidprior application. The framework of each unit is covered entirely withplanking to make it water-tight, and the couplings are supported inposition on the outside of the planking.

The couplings 3 for the dock units embrace complementary parts, one ofwhich 3a is mounted on one end of a length of wall upon one hull, andtheother 322 upon the opposing end of a length of side wall of an adjacenthull. The member 3a forms the head member of the coupling; the other32), the socket member by which the head is held. In operation the headmembers are permitted to slide up and down in the socket members s thecouplings hold the dock units together. Thus, the dock units, insinking, raising and trimming can be managed and controlledindependently of one another. If one unit is pumped out or filled morerapidly than the next, no stress on the couplings ensues because theunits are allowed to rise or sink to some extent independently, Whenthis happens the pumps are slowed or accelerated, to bring all unitsinto proper position, that is, to the same level.

In structure the head member comprises vertical I-beams 5|, extendingfrom the floor of the dock upward along the end of a length of wall 2.They are aifixed by welding their flanges to intervening space plates orshims 52 which are welded to plates 2lc projecting out at theextremities of upper and lower chords of trusses 8' in the walls 2; theends of beams 5| being between the plates 210. At their lower ends thesebeams are joined by a horizontal beam 53 welded in place; throughsimilar intervening plates or shims; which are shown in Figures 5 and 6but are omitted from Figures 9, 10 and 11 for the sake of clearness; andhigher up but at .and lowered .sufliciently in the water. section isbrought near enough to locate .the heads 51 between the beams 5| of thesockets,

a distance below the upper ends of the beams 5| is a cross-beam 54. Thiscross-beam is fitted to the beams 5| and attached thereto at its ends bybolts and angle irons indicated at 55, engaging the webs of the twobeams; and can easily be put into place and removed. The web of the beam54 can be extended beyond the flanges by cutting away the latter, forthis purpose. The

two horizontal beams 53 and 54 are connected by vertical beams 56 in thespace between the beams 5|, also removably attached at upper and lowerends by bolts and angle members 55. To the beams 56 the head 51 isafiixed. It projects outward beyond the faces of the beams 56; and isretained by the socket member 31), when the couplings connect the dock.unitstogether.

The socket member also comprises vertical beams 5| mounted in the sameposition on plates H at the end of the wall of the next unit, at thesame side, and secured as before to trusses 8 and connected as before,and at the same points, by horizontal beams 53' and 54', the latteragain being removably attached by bolts and .angles 55'; and the formerpermanently secured lengths of I-beams 65 welded to the outer webs.

59 at one end and at the other to T-plates 66 welded in turn to thebeams The inside webs 58b are spanned by a plate 64 welded on behindthem at the level of the members 65. The beams 58 are further joined bytwo cross-beams 6|, lust below the plate 64 and above the beam 53, withplates 52 welded on their ends to be bolted at 63 to the inner webs 59(Figures '7 and 8), so that these beams 6| can be readily dismounted.Between the horizontal beams 6| theflanges 58a and 581) are wider,extending over the inside webs 59, so as to overlap and engage theprojecting ends of the head 51. The webs 59 taper to shorter width attop and bottom and the flanges 58a have sloping portions 60. The beams58 and inner webs 59 form vertical guideways for the head 51.

The head 51 may be hollow and made up of metal plates forming front andrear faces 66,

top and bottom faces 67, and ends 68. Inside are vertical reinforcingwebs 69 parallel to the ends and inside horizontal reinforcing bars orwebsilfl connecting the webs and ends. Upon the front and rear facesadjacent the ends are convex reinforcing bars 7 I. Bars or webs l2welded to the head and beams 56 holdthe head in position. These webs .12are not so far apart as theends of the head, which are thus in effecttransversely extended.

To connect the units of the dock, as appears in Figure 1, the beams 54ofthe socket members 3b .are unbolted and dismounted; so are the upperbeams 6|. One unit is then partly flooded The next in line withthespaces above the beams 53'. The one :unit can'now be pumped out andraised .or

the other lowered until the heads :5] .dropbetween the beams '58, withthe ends '68 between atherfrout beams 58a at their widest parts. Beams54 and 6| are then bolted into place again. The units are then coupledbut the heads 3a can slide up and down in the members 3b, and the upperbeams or elements 6| prevent disengagement.

The units can also be connected simply by moving them close togetherwith the beams 54 and 6| of the members 3b, and the heads 51.

'beams 56 and associated cross-beams 54 removed.

The heads 51 can be engaged with the socket ,guideways, and the saidbeams then securely attached in proper positions.

When thedock is assembled and the couplings engaged to hold the variousunits together, each unit comprising a hull with portions of side walls2, all of which are in alignment when the dock is assembled, .thevarious units can then, if desired, be rigidly connected together bycrossbeams or other devices extending from one unit to the other.

Having described my invention, 'whatJI believe to be new is:

1. A floating dry dock hullhaving walls thereon, a pair of externalupright beams at the end of one of said walls, horizontal beams unitingthe 'upright beams, a pairof vertical beams between the latter unitingsaid horizontal beams and a head with a transversely extended outer endsecured to the last named upright beams.

2. A floating dry dock hullhaving-walls thereon, a pair of externalupright beams at the end of one of said walls, horizontal beams unitingsaid upright beams, and means forming vertical guideways between 'saidlast named beams an secured to said horizontal beams.

3. A floating dry-dock comprising two or more units and coupling meansfor connecting said units, said means comprising a member having .a headwith transversely extended ends on one unit and a member having opposedflanges on an adjacent unit disposed to overlap said ends and retainsaid head between them but allow up and down motion of the head.

4. The floating dry dock according to claim 3 wherein the second namedmember also has an element for preventin disengagement of "said head.

5. A floating dry dock comprising two or more units, each havingportions of side walls thereon, and couplin means on the ends of'said'walls to connect said units, each of said means comprisin a memberhaving a head with transversely extended ends on one unit, and amember'having a vertical guideway on an adjacent unit disposed tooverlap said ends and retain .saidhead.

6. The floating dry dock according to claim 5 wherein the second namedmember also has an element spanning the top of theguideway to preventdisengagement of said head.

7. A floating dry dock hull having walls thereon, said walls containinggirders comprising upper and lower horizontal "beams, a pair of externalupright beams aflixed to said horizontal beams at the end of one of saidwalls, crossbeams uniting the upright beams, a pairof vertic-a1beamsbetween the latter uniting saidcrossbeams and "a head withtransversely extended ends secured to the last named upright beams.

8. A floating dry dock hull having wallsthereon, said walls containinggirders comprising upper and lower horizontal beams, a pairnf externalpright beams aflixed to saidhorizontal beams at the end of one of saidwalls, crossbeams uniting said upright beams, and means forming verticalguideways between said last named beams and secured to said cross-beams.

9. The floating dry dock according to claim 8 wherein said guideway hasa retaining element spannin the top thereof.

10. A floating dry dock comprising multiple units, and coupling meanstherefor, each of said means comprising a member on one unit havingvertical beams attached to said unit, cross-beams uniting the verticalbeams, additional vertical beams afiixed to said cross-beams and a headhaving extended ends supported by said additional beams, and acomplementary member on an adjacent unit comprising vertical beams,cross-beams uniting same, means forming a vertical guideway mounted onsaid cross-beams to receive the head and an element spanning theguideway at the top to prevent disengagement of said head.

11. A floating dry dock embracing multiple units having side wallsthereon, said walls containing trusses with upper and lower horizontalbeams therein, and coupling means for said units, said means comprisingvertical beams on the end of a side wall of one unit and secured to thehorizontal truss beams of said wall, cross-beams connecting the verticalbeams, additional vertical beams supported by the cross-beams, and aprojecting head with extended ends mounted on the additional verticalbeams, and a complementary member on the opposing end of the wall of anadjacent unit comprising vertical beams affixed to the horizontal trussbeams of said last named wall, cross-beams uniting said vertical beams,a vertical guideway attached to said crossbeams to receive and hold saidhead and an element spanning the top of said guideway to preventdisengagement of said head.

1 2. A floating dry dock hull having walls thereon, said wallscontaining girders comprisin upper and lower horizontal beams, a pair ofexternal upright beams afiixed to said horizontal beams at the end ofone of said walls, crossbeams uniting the upper and lower ends of saidupright beams, means for detachably securing the cross-beam at the upperend of said upright beams in place, and means forming vertical guidewaysbetween the upright beams and secured to said cross-beams.

13. The floating dry dock according to claim 12, wherein said guidewayhas retaining elements at the upper and lower ends thereof, the upperretaining element being removably secured in place.

FREDERIC R. HARRIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 710,765 Cunningham Oct. 7, 19021,019,611 Donnelly Mar. 5, 1912 1,797,600 Baer et al. Mar. 24, 1 31

